National Readymix Concrete, a major division of the Lootah Group of the UAE, was founded in 1977 to provide a guaranteed source of high-quality readymix concrete for the numerous construction projects that were being undertaken by its sister company Lootah Building and Construction.

Over the years, a sustained programme of innovation, investment and an unremitting focus on customer service and satisfaction has helped position National Readymix as the premier supplier of readymix concrete in the UAE, according to Abdullah Ibrahim Lootah, vice chairman of the Lootah Group.

But it is quality of service rather than pure market share that motivates Lootah: "National Readymix is not just about concrete and the profits that can be made but much more about giving the customer that extra service and showing a can-do attitude in all our dealings in the market. In keeping with the overall Lootah Group philosophy, we believe that sustained growth and profitability over time can only be achieved through exceptional customer service," he says.

National Readymix's track record of technical and customer service innovations is certainly impressive, with the company having a number of 'firsts' to its name.

"We were the first company in the UAE to propose using washed beach sand as a filler for concrete and so built a desalination and washing plant in Ajman to produce it," says Lootah. "We were also the first readymix company to set up our own quarry, in Masfoot, near Hatta and recently we have set up the first aggregate crusher in the UAE at our new quarry at Siji near Fujairah."

With plants in Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Hatta, Jebel Ali and Sharjah, National Readymix now has a combined capacity to produce over 450 cu m of concrete per hour. By setting up plants in most of the emirates, it can cover some 75 per cent of the geographic area of the UAE with prompt deliveries and transit times of less than two hours per trip. This service will be further enhanced when new readymix plants open in Fujairah and Al Ain, he says.

Raw materials are delivered to its six plants by Lootah General Transport, which was set solely to ensure prompt delivery. Lootah's fleet of trucks has a combined capacity of 100,000 tonnes of aggregate.

National Readymix also strives to make life easier for the contractors on site through the provision of specialist machinery and flexible work practices. Examples of this are the provision of special concrete levelling equipment to assist with multi-batch pours; the provision of floodlights on the concrete pumps themselves for night pours; a round-the-clock supply of concrete, materials and equipment for fast-track projects and time-sensitive applications; and a range of small to standard to very large mixers and transport vehicles to ensure that the concrete volume delivered matches the pour requirement as closely as possible.

National Readymix can also provide the only five-section boom concrete pumps in the UAE, giving better reach for high and hard-to-access areas, thus cutting down on handling time and costs for the contractor.

National Readymix will also provide statistical and historical reports for each project site for the contractor, tracking the quantities used in each pour, batch strength and durability.

The information is tabulated by National Readymix together with independent laboratory analysis for QC (quality control) and QS (quantity survey) reports.

Lootah is also proud of the company's pioneering role in research and development of its products and its efforts in educating the clients and contractors it deals with.

"We are probably about five years in advance of the market in terms of R&D and are constantly investing in new formulations and materials to best suit the specific environmental and technical requirements for the projects we support," he says. "This has allowed us to undertake bridge and underpass projects, to provide concrete for difficult underground structures, and to produce special formulations for salty water and high temperature conditions. Also, concrete mixtures of superlative quality are produced using highly effective ingredients like condensed silica fume (CSF), slag (GGBS) and pulverised fuel ash (PFA).Over the years, National Readymix has supplied over 10 million cu m of concrete to major projects around the UAE."

The Lootah Group was one the first companies to enter the contracting and construction sector in the UAE. The group's flagship company Lootah Building and Construction (LBC) was established in 1975, by Ibrahim S. Lootah, chairman of the group.

Overall, the Lootah Group specialises in structural industries and has been responsible for many landmark projects in Dubai and the other emirates including the country's extensive underpass systems.

LBC has been committed to and involved in many community welfare projects over the years such as the construction of numerous schools, sports clubs for the handicapped and several prominent mosques.

The company's prowess in landscaping and environmental sensitivity can been seen in the execution of the Jumeirah Beach park, a popular and attractive oasis of green in the city.

In the commercial property sector, the Lootah name is behind such landmarks as the Sheraton Four Points Hotel, the Al-Attar shopping complex and a number of major high-rise buildings in Sharjah.

The Lootah Group has always embraced the latest technology and applications in its activities as can be seen from the introduction of the tunnel form system for high-rise buildings.

From the very beginning, the group realised that the surest way to win customers and secure their loyalty on the long term was through maintaining the highest standards of quality and customer service.

This has led to a strategy of vertical integration among its various divisions and subsidiaries with a view of maintaining uninterrupted delivery of raw material from their own sources and ensuring the highest possible quality of product and service delivery. NRC was the first venture to be initiated under this strategy.

Lootah Industries, the third of the four major business divisions in the Lootah Group, after LBC and NRC, was formed in 1977 on a 1 million sq ft site in Ajman. This division has grown to encompass a number of separate subsidiary companies that cover a wide range of manufacturing and service industries to support structural and construction industries in the UAE.

Lootah Bitumen and Roadworks manufactures water and chemical-based bitumen products to International standards and specifications. The engineering works division undertakes all metal work for the group and fabricates and maintains the group's machinery and equipment.

Lootah Profile manufactures corrugated sheets, C-purlins, Z-purlins and guardrails.

The Lootah Marble and Mosaic Factory manufactures and processes all types of marble, granite, mosaic, tiles, kerbstones and crushed blocky stones.

National Aluminium carries out the group's aluminium work, while Lootah Fibre Glass manufactures water tanks, air conditioner shades and car park roofs.

The Blasting and Painting division has environmentally-friendly machines to remove rust from steel sheets and bars.

A Sand Washing Division supported by a reverse osmosis plant, produces salt-free sand suitable for construction.

Lootah Carpentry is responsible for the design and manufacture of doors, window frames, furniture and other wood products for the group and other customers.

The fourth major business sector for the group is Lootah General Trading, which has extensive interests in retail trading, especially popular branded fashion items; speciality chemicals trading for industries throughout the UAE and a major branded truck and commercial vehicle franchise.